I always love taking photos of flowers and yesterday I was sorting photos, realising so many were in my old computer and yet to be released. Here are a selection from spring and Summer, many in my local area of Creuse and some from London where I lived before arriving here in March.
It is a little ironic that one reason I came to this are of countryside was the ability to take pictures of wildflowers, hedgerow plants and wildlife. But I ended up slap bang in the middle of farming meadows with a very tidy farmer who trims hedges and manicures roadsides with seasonal punctuality. The landscape is man-made but a consequence and necessity of beef maintenance so I have to grab my short windows of opportunity.
Next year I will wander further afield. We have mountains not far and other less farmed areas. And if you keep your eyes peeled the wild flowers do make a show. They understand they have to be quick. They rise like the phoenix after the strimmer’s have chewed and put on a short show before the summer heat. After the late summer grass cutting, they have another growth spurt till November’s cold winds bite.
The council came today, with heavy weight machines to cut and clear the ditches. The remaining seed heads fell, the beetles and bugs scuttled for shelter in the now shorter hedges. Its a tough life here and short moments to live life. But one thing I have noticed – my garden is becoming a haven. The wood piles are becoming homesteads, my buildings roosting sites. I cant accommodate all the homeless in my neighbourhood, but at least I make some room in my garden plans next year. With the garden between two meadows, the wildlife wanders in easily, so I really wont have to signpost it to get a full house.
A French Homestead Life 
Some real stunners here …. chapeau 😊
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Thank you. London actually provided a great source of floral work in the end, and I used to love wandering off late afternoons with the camera to see what I could find. South London has lots of open spaces and food for the camera. We lived for a year near Greenwich Park a great source of wildflowers all through the year. The teasels I spotted down a small lane near us [France] and rushed back to get the telephoto as the light was good. The next day they were gone – strimmed. I missed a gorgeous poppy field a few miles away. I took a long short-cut, to avoid the main road and the field was awash with red – no camera – idiot me and when I returned a week later, gone – well what did I expect really. The fields also change. No cornflowers this year as there is no corn. Instead it is fallow. This year as you know from my post, was a muddled year, so many are still on my hard drive waiting to escape. They are patient. I will release them another time.
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All in good time … I do believe that. London will provide new opportunities with your camera (I find photography immensly relaxing though I am no photographer). In the country I think there is a myth that everything is constant but in fact when one is embedded it proves quite the contrary.
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Amazing pictures. I love the 8th one down and the contrast of colour. It almost looks like it could be a necklace. The bee below looks like hes not moving for anyone. How lovely that you are naturally providing a home for the homeless!! That will make for some interesting photos.
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We tried this year with some wild flowers, and the garden did get busy, but there is a lot more work to growing them and the grass has had to be smothered or it overruns and just the more rampant wild weeds can compete. I am bit annoyed with myself. I had some fantastic Scottish thistles last year but had to get rid of them as they were right by the washing line. I hoped they would grow again, now line has moved, but they were obviously miffed and decided not to grow. I did get some seeds though and will try an re-grow them next year.
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Is there a book in your future? Wonderful photos — lighting, details, subject matter all combine to create a special effect. (Love the dark bee who is definitely not relinquishing her territory. 🙂 . )
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I think I am running about thinking about many projects, but I do love the floral photography and feel I need to practice a whole lot more. The bees are great to take, even if they are often too busy to pose, but this little one was hogging the nectar for a full ten minutes and wasn’t bothered by my lens being shoved up close either – talk about dedication to the task in hand! By the way I love your photos – your camera lens gives a softness I really like. I especially liked some the larger format photos recently, like the conifers reflections and the snow on the bales. The weather here has turned really dull and wet and no photos came out well yesterday. Everything has been cut down, so will have to wait till spring now.
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Thanks for your lovely words — I so admire your flower shots. I sometimes envy those who live in a world sans snow. And yet there is much that is beautiful and worthy about winter. It pares life down to its essence. Like going from full colour to monotone. Perhaps that’s what appealed to me about the hay bales and the mountains — no need to search the myriad details of a summer shot, you can simply react to the simplicity of the photo.
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